Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Flare Training

Flares shoot through a dark sky as a military aircraft flies upwards .

 

C130 crews with the Minnesota Air National Guard conduct air drop and aerial flare release training above Camp Ripley, Minn., Sept 16, 2020.

Winning Warriors

 

Soldiers compete for the Expert Infantryman Badge or the Expert Soldier Badge at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, Sept. 16, 2020.

Esper Promises to Maintain Israeli Qualitative Edge in Middle East

 Sept. 22, 2020 | BY Jim Garamone , DOD News

Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper promised Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz that the United States would maintain Israel's qualitative edge in the Middle East.

Esper made the promise at the beginning of a Pentagon meeting with the Israeli leader.

Gantz is no stranger to the U.S. military, having trained at Fort Bragg, N.C., as a young officer and working alongside many American officers as he rose in rank in the Israeli Defense Force. Gantz was the Israeli chief of defense as his last job in the military. He has been defense minister since the Israeli unity government started in April. He is scheduled to become the Israeli prime minister in November 2021.

Two men stand at the top of steps amid a color guard.

Esper stressed that Israel is America's most important strategic partner in the Middle East. "Our partnership is built over generations based on shared values, shared interests and shared concerns," Esper said. 

He said the bonds of friendship among the peoples of Israel and the United States are unbreakable. 

The United States was the first nation to recognize the nation of Israel when it established its independence in 1948. "Across that long history, the defense relationship between the United States and Israel has never been stronger: We intend to keep it that way," the defense secretary said. "I do want to say upfront for everyone, that a cornerstone of our defense relationship is preserving Israel's qualitative military edge in the region. 

"The United States is committed to that, and the Department of Defense is committed to that imperative," he said. "And we will continue to support the long-standing U.S. priority to maintain Israel's security."

Gantz thanked Esper for the warm welcome and promised on Israel's part to deepen the partnership. "As I always say, we have no other United States, nor do you have any other Israel," he said. "We will make sure together, to keep those bonds active and close to one another. It has to do with (qualitative military edge). But it also has to do with lots of cooperation that we have, we always say it is in our moral interest to share with you everything we possibly can. And we will continue those relations into the future."

Medical Brigade Supports COVID-19 Drive-Thru Testing

 Sept. 22, 2020 | BY ARMY SGT. 1ST CLASS KELVIN RINGOLD

The 1st Medical Brigade, 13th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, has been crucial in supporting COVID-19 testing and mitigation efforts in Texas and across the United States since March. As they assist Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Hood, Texas, in the fight against COVID-19, they continue to solidify themselves as the premier medical brigade in the Army.

The 61st Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 1st Med. Bde. has led efforts at CRDAMC's COVID-19 testing drive-thru site inside the hospital's garage since June 29, 2020.

In an effort to reduce the health risks to personnel in CRDAMC, the screening site helps identify people with respiratory illness symptoms before they enter the hospital.

A line of tents with signs at a COVID-19 drive-thru site.

Before the cars move inside the garage, where the occupants' vitals are taken, the occupants see the medical professionals for Role 2 medical care and possible testing. It's important to ensure they are there for the right reasons.

"We screen them and make sure they actually need to be here to get tested first," Army Staff Sgt. Nelson Smith, healthcare noncommissioned officer in charge with 546th Med. Company Area Support, 61st MMB, said.

During the screenings, there are certain criteria that will immediately cause the medics to have the vehicles proceed into the garage.

"If they were exposed to someone who was known to have COVID-19, have been out of Texas within 14 days or are showing symptoms, we will move them in for testing," Smith said.

If no symptoms are present, personnel will not be tested at the site. Smith said there is also one other common instance that results in no test being administered.

"Some people may come in and say their spouse has tested positive and would like to also be tested," Smith explained. "At that point, we won't test them here, because if one person in the house tests positive, we assume the entire house is positive living in close quarters with each other."

Once someone is identified to be tested, their samples are taken to CRDAMC and the results come back typically within 72 hours.

If a patient is identified as needing Role 2 treatment, a system is in place to minimize the possible spread of COVID-19.

"A medic will radio the make, model and license plate of the vehicle so transport can pick them up from their vehicle and take them to Role 2," Smith said. "That's to avoid any possible contamination with rails, or if we have a really sick patient to avoid them having to walk themselves."

Army Capt. Joshua Gurr and Army 1st Sgt. Christopher Lane, both members of the 546th command team, oversaw operations at the site, and Gurr acknowledged the uniqueness of their current fight.

"As leaders, we try to predict the enemy's movements in order to react, to seize [the] moments and capitalize on opportunities," Gurr said. "The enemy for our mission is COVID, which is unpredictable."

A medical soldier collects patient information at a COVID-19 drive-thru site.

The health of the force is always a priority and it's something that concerns Gurr as the commander. 

"With how contagious it is, I'm concerned about my soldiers," Gurr said. "If they are treating a patient, they run the risk of catching COVID themselves. Even after we use all our safety measures and precautions, the risk still exists. So, it's something we constantly manage."

Lane praised his soldiers for their efforts supporting the fight against the pandemic.

"It's a proud moment for me," Lane said. "Fighting an unknown enemy like COVID, is something a lot of soldiers don't get recognized for as if they were fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan. They are doing something greater than themselves and also get to excel at their craft as medical professionals."

With no end date to drive-thru support set, the soldiers are motivated to continue their mission.

"Our teams are prepared to run the station for as long as it takes," Smith said.

(Army Sgt. 1st Class Kelvin Ringold is assigned to the 13th Expeditionary Sustainment Command).

Fort Campbell Schools Celebrate Successful Opening

 Sept. 22, 2020 | BY Emily Laforme, Army

Principals from the Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Department of Defense Education Activity schools are praising their teams, students and parents for successfully creating a safe learning environment during the early weeks of the 2020-2021 school year.

After successfully opening amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the principals from Barsanti Elementary School, Mahaffey Middle School and Fort Campbell High School reflect on what changes have made the transition back to in-person learning a success.

Barsanti Elementary School

Like the other schools across the installation, Barsanti Elementary School staff has placed directional stickers on the floors to help direct student-traffic flow while maintaining social distancing in the hallways. The desks in classrooms and seating in the lunchroom are properly spaced, sanitation takes place at regular intervals and everyone is wearing a face mask. They also found a way to alternate times for the use of the playground for recess. Disinfectant spray has been provided to the staff to clean high-touch areas after each use.

"I think the students and staff have done amazingly well," said Hugh McKinnon, Barsanti principal. "It was a little bit cumbersome, but I think the school year has come together nicely. We had some concerns about the younger students being able to keep their face masks on for long periods of time. We thought it would be more of a challenge than it turned out to be. I equate it to the parents telling me they have been making the effort to have their children wear these coverings when they are out and about outside of the home."

Kids wearing face masks play on a playground.

McKinnon also attributes their success to the Barsanti back-to-school team and the support of the community. They have only had to make minor changes to some of their seating arrangements in the lunchroom to better ensure social distancing.

The Fort Campbell schools back-to-school teams include teachers, paraprofessionals and parents who were part of back-to-school planning, he said.

"They pretty much had everything planned and sorted out for us prior to arriving [at] school, which made things easier," McKinnon said.

While teachers and staff have had to get creative, he said, they have risen to the occasion and are doing a great job keeping students and themselves safe while continuing with the daily lessons.

"I think we've learned from the other schools around us and had a lot of information on what our challenges would be and what to expect," McKinnon said. "It all seemed to come together very well. Now it's just a matter of making sure everything is habit and to not let up and keep up with our routine practices."

McKinnon said he is thankful for his staff, parents and students who are facing the challenges and are continuing to work together every day.

"I'd really like to give a shout out to the students," McKinnon said. "They've taken all of the challenges seriously while maintaining their positive attitudes and are still managing to have fun."

Mahaffey Middle School

After reviewing daily operations and COVID-19 precautions, the Mahaffey Middle School staff decided to keep students in one classroom as much as possible, with the teachers moving from classroom to classroom for each subject.

"The students are in one classroom for a majority of their day," said Linda Haberman, principal of Mahaffey. "The students are saying they really like it, and I think it's building little communities within the classroom. Everyone agrees it's the safest way to go. They do come out for their various electives, but the students are really liking it."

The students and parents have adapted easily to the new environment, and everyone has been very supportive, Haberman said.

"The students have done a fantastic job with social distancing and wearing their masks, all of the mitigations we've put into effect," she said. "Our parents have been very understanding, especially with our decision to limit the amount of people we have coming into our building every day. We've been meeting with parents a lot virtually."

Kids wearing face masks raising their hands in a classroom.

The school staff decided to slowly begin after-school activities with a few clubs including National Junior Honor Society, Model United Nations, Spanish Club and the math competition team, Haberman said.

Students attending virtual learning also can participate in the clubs virtually or choose to attend in-person. They try to host the clubs outdoors as much as possible, weather permitting, Haberman said, adding that teachers have also incorporated outdoor learning into their classes' daily routines.

"We're going slow, but trying to do everything very precisely," she said. "One of the things I think has been helpful is our mask breaks. We have it arranged so teachers can take their students outside during scheduled parts of the day, when the weather is good, and they can hold some classroom discussions at a social distance with their masks off."

The only thing they have had to adjust since school started was the lunchroom seating arrangements, and now there are eating areas throughout the school to help with social distancing, Haberman said.

"I want to shout out to my entire staff. They've done a phenomenal job in supporting all of the changes," she said. "I also want to shout out to my guidance counselors, Wanda Bermudez and Michael Erickson, for continuing to support parents and students throughout all of these changes. I want to shout out our band director, Rusty Carter, for creatively finding ways to continue holding band classes. I want to give a shout out to Jhoni Hale, our education technologist, for supporting both in-person and virtual learning, and our school nurse, Tracey Thomas, who has been invaluable with communicating community health guidelines. Lastly, I want to shout out Sherri Gowker, our ordering clerk, who has made sure we have all of the materials we need for our students and teachers."

Fort Campbell High School

At Fort Campbell High School, principal Thomas Whittle said their successful return to in-person learning is linked to the students and staff, and their brave adaptability to a new learning environment.

"If I could praise our success, it would be to the students and their response to the new environment we are in," Whittle said. "I'd also praise the teachers and staff and the adjustments they have made, as well as the support from our Fort Campbell command group. The support has been astronomical."

The dedication to academic excellence has been as strong as ever for students and staff, despite the challenges they had to overcome, he said.

"We did a lot of walking the school itself," Whittle said. "We wanted to come up with an idea that would be safe following DoDEA guidelines and community guidelines, so we walked the school as if we were in a student's shoes. We rang the bells to see how long it would take to travel from one side of the school to the other. We also redesigned the lunchroom so students would have social distancing and be able to eat lunch without their masks."

The school staff has also worked closely with parents, virtually, to include them in decision-making to create a better school environment, he said. They've since moved the back parking lot into the bus loading and unloading zone, with students entering through the front of the school.

"We will resume some after-school clubs this week, and we will also start using the late buses for students who stay after school for activities this week as well," Whittle said. "We're looking at restarting the after-school tutoring program soon as well. Virtual learners will be able to participate in these activities as well."

He is thankful to the Fort Campbell administrative team, the other principals and staff at Fort Campbell schools, as well as his team for their support and communication during this time.

"They've all been great in putting in the extra hours to make sure our students and faculty are safe," Whittle said.

(Emily LaForme is assigned to Fort Campbell)

Top DOD Officials to Hold Virtual Town Hall Meeting

 Sept. 22, 2020

Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper; Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman Ramón "CZ" Colón-López will hold a virtual global town hall meeting at the Pentagon to provide service members, their families and DOD civilians an opportunity to ask questions on the department’s COVID-19 response and diversity and inclusion at 10 a.m. EDT Sept. 24, 2020.

The event will be streamed live on Defense.gov, on DVIDS and on the DOD Facebook page.

Sports Heroes Who Served: Brooklyn Dodgers Legend Duke Snider

 Sept. 22, 2020 | BY David Vergun , DOD News

Sports Heroes Who Served is a series that highlights the accomplishments of athletes who served in the U.S. military.

Edwin D. "Duke" Snider was the pitcher for Enterprise Junior High School’s softball team in Los Angeles beginning in 1937. During three of the four years he played there, the team won the league championship.

A baseball player poses for a photo with his bat over his shoulder.

Snider recalled that three of the best hitters on the team were Japanese Americans. In February 1942, he said the three were sent to internment camps in the Midwest.

Snider continued playing both football and baseball at Compton High School in Compton, California. In 1943, he pitched a 6-0 no-hitter against Beverly Hills in his initial regional league appearance.

In June 1943, Snider's baseball coach at Compton, Bill Schleibaum, wrote to Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers informing him of Snider's talent.

He wrote, ''During the past ten years, I have been directly connected with coaching, and it is my belief that Duke Snider is one of the finest baseball prospects that I have ever seen.''

The Dodgers invited Snider to a tryout camp in Long Beach, California, in September 1943, but they had to wait until his graduation in February 1944. 

Snider accompanied the Dodgers to their Bear Mountain training camp in upstate New York.

"During our stay at Bear Mountain, we played the Army varsity team a couple of times," he recalled. 

A man in a suit stands with his arm over the shoulder of a man wearing a baseball uniform.

He returned home to California after the season, turned 18, and in late 1944, he was inducted into the Navy, serving as a fireman third class.

Early in 1945, he deployed to Guam and was assigned duties aboard the submarine tender USS Sperry. 

Snider moonlighted for the 2nd Marine Division baseball team while in Guam and played for the USS Sperry baseball team.

The closest he said he ever came to combat was when he had watch duty on one of the ship's 5-inch guns. In that incident, an unidentified ship was sighted ahead.

"The command came down from the bridge to load the gun with a star shell that would be fired if the ship did not respond to our signal requesting identification," Snider said. "No World Series moment ever scared me as much. I was no authority on loading or firing shells. All I had been told in our drills was that you press this lever, a shell comes up, you put it in and press another lever, and the shell goes 'boom!'"

An old photo shows a ship sailing on the ocean.

"I pressed the first lever, the shell came up, and I put it into the loading chamber. I was actually shaking while waiting for the command to fire," he continued. "Two ships might start firing at each other in the middle of the Pacific Ocean as a small part of World War II, and I was going to be the one to start the firing."

"Seconds before the command to fire would have come, the other ship identified itself as friendly," he said.

Snider was later stationed at Long Beach Army Air Base in California. While playing for the base team, he got an offer to sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but Snider said he had his Brooklyn commitment to fulfill.

Large military ships docked in a blue waters.

As center fielder, he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and then the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1947 to 1962. In 1955 and 1959, the Dodgers won the World Series. Then, he played for the New York Mets in 1963 and, finally, for the San Francisco Giants in 1964.

Besides the two World Series, Snider was named an All Star eight times, 1950 to 1956 and 1963.

The Dodgers retired his No. 4 uniform, and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980.

Following his baseball career, Snider held a number of jobs in the media, including TV and radio announcer for the San Diego Padres from 1969 to 1971 and the Montreal Expos from 1973 to 1986. He also took TV and movie acting roles. In 2007, he was featured in the documentary film, ''Brooklyn Dodgers: Ghosts of Flatbush.''

Snider died on Feb. 27, 2011, in Escondido, California; he was 84. 

General Officer Assignments

 Sept. 22, 2020


The Chief of Staff of the Army announces the following general officer assignments:

Brig. Gen. Sean C. Bernabe, deputy commanding general, U.S. Army Europe, Germany, to commanding general, 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Brig. Gen. David B. Womack, special assistant to the commanding general, U.S. Army Europe, Germany, to deputy chief of staff, operations, Multinational Corps Northeast, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Poland.

U.S. Army Reserve

Maj. Gen. Daniel J. Christian, deputy commander - support (Individual Mobilization Augmentee), Eighth Army, Republic of Korea, to deputy chief of staff, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Eustis, Virginia.

Brig. Gen. Matthew V. Baker, commander, 102d Training Division (Maneuver Support); and deputy commanding general for mobilization and training, U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, to commanding general (Troop Program Unit), 416th Theater Engineer Command, Darien, Illinois.

Brig. Gen. Vincent B. Barker, director of sustainment, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation Inherent Resolve, Kuwait, to deputy, inspector general, Office of The Inspector General, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C.

Brig. Gen. Miguel A. Castellanos, advisor to the commander (Individual Mobilization Augmentee), Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, U.S. Africa Command, Germany, to commanding general (Troop Program Unit), 84th Training Command, Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Brig. Gen. Miles A. Davis, assistant to the deputy commanding general - readiness (Individual Mobilization Augmentee), U.S. Army Reserve Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to commanding general (Troop Program Unit), 76th U.S. Army Reserve Operational Response Command, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Brig. Gen. Matthew P. Easley, director, Artificial Intelligence Task Force, U.S. Army Futures Command, Arlington, Virginia, to chief information security officer (Individual Mobilization Augmentee), Office of the Chief Information Officer, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C.

Brig. Gen. Joseph A. Edwards II, deputy commanding general (Troop Program Unit), 104th Training Division (Leader Training), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, to director of operations, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-9, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C.

Brig. Gen. Rodney J. Fischer, deputy commanding general (Troop Program Unit), 80th Training Command, Richmond, Virginia, to deputy commander (Troop Program Unit), 104th Division Leader Training Headquarters, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

Brig. Gen. Howard C. Geck, commander, (Troop Program Unit), 103d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Des Moines, Iowa, to assistant to the deputy commanding general - readiness (Individual Mobilization Augmentee), U.S. Army Reserve Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Brig. Gen. Richard J. Heitkamp, deputy director, politico-military affairs (Western Hemisphere), J-5, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C., to deputy director, (Individual Mobilization Augmentee), Military Programs Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, D.C.

Brig. Gen. James J. Kokaska Jr., deputy commander, (Troop Program Unit), 416th Theater Engineer Command, Darien, Illinois, to commander, 102d Training Division (Maneuver Support) and deputy commanding general for mobilization and training, U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Brig. Gen. Joseph A. Marsiglia, deputy commanding general, Army Reserve Medical Command, Pinellas Park, Florida, and mobilization and reserve affairs (Individual Mobilization Augmentee), Office of the Surgeon General, Falls Church, Virginia, to commanding general (Troop Program Unit), Medical Readiness and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.

Brig. Gen. Peder L. Swanson, program director, Reserve Medical, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C., to deputy commander (Troop Program Unit), 807th Medical Command (Deployment Support), Salt Lake City, Utah.

Readout of Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper's Meeting With Israeli Defense Minister Benjamin Gantz

 Sept. 22, 2020


Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper hosted Israeli Defense Minister Benjamin Gantz at the Pentagon today.  Secretary Esper expressed continued support for Israel's Qualitative Military Edge.  The two leaders shared views about the security challenges in the Middle East, and reaffirmed the ironclad defense relationship between the United States and Israel.  Secretary Esper and Minister Gantz agreed that the normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain under the Abraham Accords represents a historic opportunity to strengthen regional security.

Readout of Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. James Anderson's Bilateral Engagement With Ghanaian Minister of Defense Hon. Dominic Nitiwul

 Sept. 22, 2020


Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. James Anderson spoke with the Ghanaian Minister of Defense Domonic Nitiwul today by telephone. The two leaders expressed appreciation for the enduring U.S.-Ghana defense relationship built on shared democratic values and mutual security interests.  

Dr. Anderson emphasized the United States’ commitment to the partnership and to continued collaboration on shared priorities of countering violent extremism, advancing maritime security, and defending international norms.

Focus Fire

 

Marines fire machine guns during training at Camp Fuji, Japan, June 23, 2020.